Charging apparatus.



No. 796,783. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

- T. F. & J. G. WITHBRBBE.

CHARGING APPARATUS. PPLIOATION FILED AUG. 15. 1904.

` 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

T. F. J. G. WITHBRBBE.

CHARGING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATIOE FILED AUG. 15, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

07211. G. I/Vherbee UNITED STATES yPATENT OEEiOE.

THOMAS FRANCIS WITHERBEE AND J GILMAN WITHERBEE, OF PORT HENRY, NEW YORK.

CHARGING APPARATUS.`

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed August l5, 1904. Serial No. 220,793.

To all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS FRANCIS WITHERBEE and JOHN GILMAN WITHERBEE, citizens of the United States, and residents of Port Henry, in the county of Essex and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Charging Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

lOur invention relates toa charging apparatus capable of many uses, but especially designed for blast-furnaces.

' The main object of the invention is to insure a better distribution of the materials charged into a blast-furnace-such as fuel, ores, and iiuXes-than has hitherto been attained'.

By the use of a single charging-bell, as is customary at present, no material variation in the distribution of the charge isadmitted. The single bell is necessarilya partial failure in all furnaces, but is more particularly so in the larger ones, because if the bell is small enough to direct a suiiicient amount of ore to the center of the furnace for the purpose of preventing the center from becoming a line of least resistance for the'ascending gases` it will then deposit the ores so far from the walls as to make the outside a freer passage for the current of gases. If the bell is made large enough to overcome this objection, sufficient material is not deposited at the center,

and then the center becomes too free a passage ior the ascending gases. These conditions in either case are detrimental to good 'working and efciency and are especially conducive to a high fuel consumption.

Many have attempted to devise charging apparatuses for the purpose of overcoming the above objections and for distributing material more uniformly in the furnace; but all such inventions have had the defect of not being readily adapted for use in conjunction with the sO-called skip-hoist, and they have also as a usual thing been devoid of means for securing any variation in the distribution of the charge.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a central sectional view of the K upper part of a blast-furnace, showing a prethereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional View on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the operating mechanism shown at the top of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views of the two parts of the bell. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a feature of the invention; and Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing a modification.

It will be understood that the drawings represent a preferred embodiment of the invention and that many modifications in the form shown may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The furnace is provided with the usual hopper a and lip-ring o is a bell which is applied to the lip-ring in a manner which is well known, but ispprovided with ports c', as indicated in Fig. 4. These ports may be closed at their outer edges, or open, as shown. Below the bell c is suspended a second bell 0l, which is also provided with ports d', (indicated in Fig. 5,) which are of substantially the same size as the ports o' and are adapted to register with them when required or to be closed by the parts g between the ports c. The bell c is supported by a hollow sleeve e, and the bell d is suspended by a rod f, passing through the hollow sleeve and extending above the top of the same.

It will be obvious that by means of the sleeve e and the rod f the two bells c and d may be turned upon their axes in such a manner as to cause the ports to register or to be closed, as desired. For the purpose of accomplishing this result any desired mechanism may be employed; but a practical form comprising a bevel-gear L upon the sleeve e, a bevel-gear it upon the rod f, and an intermediate bevel-pinion z' for operating them is illustrated in Fig. l. The upper part of the rodfis made square, as shown at f', for the purpose of permitting the rod to slide with respect to the gear it', which is held in a stationary position, and a similar connection is made between the Sleeve e and the gear L. The rod f is supported by means of a plate f2, mounted thereon, and a projection e', mounted upon the top of the sleeve e. Ballbearings may be mounted between the plate and projection. The pinion el is shown as mounted upon a shaft j, which is designed to be Operated by means of a lever le, which is provided for the purpose of lifting the bell.

Two collars Z and l are provided upon the sleeve e, the lower one being loosely mounted thereon and the upper one fast thereto, preferably having ball-bearings betweenl them. The lever c is connected, by means of alink 7c', to the loose collar Z and is pivoted at m to a stationary part of the device n. It will be apparent that the oscillation of the lever about its pivot will raise and lower the sleeve e, and consequently the rod f and the two bells.

A link 0 is pivotally connected to the lever in and to a reciprocating rack p, which meshes with a gear q. Upon the side of this gear is pivotally mounted a pawl fr, which engages with a ratchet-wheel s upon a shaft t, carrying a pinion a. This pinion meshes with a gear e upon the shaft .7', and it will be obvious that the reciprocation of the rack p by means of the operation of the lever 7c will turn the Shafttin one direction. The rotation will be transmitted to the shaft] and the gears /L and L, and consequently to the two bells c and CZ. It is to be understood, however, that the bells can be rotated only when closing or rising. It will be evident that by this means the ports of the bells may be caused to remain in closed position when the bells are lowered, but that upon raising the bells they may be turned one in one direction and the other in the other, so as to open or close the ports simultaneously with the raising of the bells. The result of this operation will be to permit the material charged into the hopper to fall upon the upper surface of the bell c and part of it to slide down that surface and be distributed in the furnace near the walls thereof. At the same time a part of the material will be permitted to drop through the ports which are open or gradually opening, so as to be distributed in the interior of the furnace near the center. It will be clear that these parts may be adjusted in such a manner as to provide for a uniform distribution of the materials or for a larger distribution in any desired portion of the furnace. It might not be advantageous to always operate the device in this manner, and consequently it will be apparent that the oscillating mechanism can be operated separately from the reciprocating mechanism when such operation is desired. lt is usually advisable also to break up the continuity of the charge, so that the charges will not be superimposed, and this may be accomplished by a gradual rotation of the bells, so that that part of the charge which falls through the ports will be deposited in a different locality each time that the bells are dumped with the ports open. The device may also be used with the two bells locked in a fixed position with respect to each other with the ports entirely or partially open, the openings to be varied from time to time as conditions may require.

As it may be required to dump the bells more than once in the same position, we provide means for accomplishing this end. This is shown in the drawings as comprising spaces u on the pinion u, so that this pinion may revolve through a portion of its revolution without rotating the gear e, so that it will not revolve the bells until such time as the teeth of the pinion u come into engagement with the teeth of the gear c. It will be seen that by having pinions with different lengths of spaces 4between the teeth any necessary combination of charging can be made. For example, if it were necessary to dump two charges with the ports closed it would only be necessary to omit the teeth of the pinion u for a space equal to the length of movement of the pinion u at the pitch-line.

In case the part of the charge falling through the ports is not deposited near enough to the center of the furnace a ring w may be fastened to a flange upon the lower edge of the bell l to deflect the material toward the center. This ring may be cylindrical or conical and inclined toward the center, as shown at w in Fig. 7. It will be obvious that the angle at which it is placed may be fixed in accordance with the conditions prevailing and the results desired.

It will be understood that instead of rotating both bells one of them can be mounted on a stationary axis and the other rotated or oscillated.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A charging apparatus for blast-furnaces, comprising a hopper having an opening, a bell adapted to close the hopper and having a portion of larger diameter than the opening in the hopper, said portion being provided with openings for permitting part of the material discharged from the hopper to pass through them.

2. A charging device for blast-furnaces,com prising a hopper, a bell adapted to close the hopper and having a portion extending below the lower edge thereof, said portion having openings, and means for alternately opening and closing said openings.

3. A charging apparatus for blast-furnaces, comprising a hopper having an opening, a bell adapted to close the hopper and having a portion of larger diameter than the opening in the hopper, said portion being provided with openings for permitting part of the material discharged from the hopper to pass through them, and means for alternately opening and closing said openings.

4. A charging apparatus, comprising a bell, a second bell having an axis coincident with that of the first bell, a lever, and connections from the lever to the second bell for simultaneously reciprocating and rotating it.

5. A charging apparatus, comprising a palr of bells each having openings adapted to regv ister, a movable element, and connections from the movable element to the bells for simultaneously reciprocating them and alternately opening and closing said openings.

6. A charging apparatus, comprising a bell having openings, means for closing and eX- posing said openings, a movable element, and connections from the movable element to the bell and to said first-mentioned means, for simultaneously reciprocating the bell and alternately exposing and closing the openings.

7. Acharging apparatus for blast-furnaces, comprisinga hopper,a plurality of bells adapted to close the lower end of the hopper, means for reciprocating said bells, and means for simultaneously giving a rotary motion thereto.

8. A charging apparatus for blast-furnaces, comprising a pair of bells, one located within the other, means for reciprocating said bells, and means for automatically and simultaneously giving rotary motion thereto.

9. A charging apparatus for blast-furnaces, comprising a hopper, a plurality of conical bells superposed one upon another, having coincident axes and adapted to close the lower end of the hopper, means f or reciprocating said bells, and means for simultaneously giving an intermittent rotary motion to the bells.

10. A charging apparatus for blast-furnaces, comprising a pair of conical bells one located within the other, means for reciprocating said bells, and means for automatically and simultaneously giving intermittent rotary motion to the two bells in opposite directions.

11. A charging device comprising a pair of bells located concentrically adjacent to each other, a shaft for supporting one bell, a hollow sleeve for supporting the other, said shaft passing through the sleeve, and means for simultaneously rotating said shaft and sleeve in opposite directions. l

12. A charging device comprising a pair of conical bells located concentrically one Within the other, a hollow sleeve for supporting one bell, a shaft extending through saidA sleeve for supporting the other bell, means for reciprocating` the sleeve, and means for simultaneously rotating said shaft and sleeve in opposite directions, comprising a bevel-gear mounted on the shaft, a bevel-gear mounted on the sleeve, and a pinion for operating said gears.

13. A charging device for blast-furnaces, comprising a hopper, a lip-ring, a pair of conical bells located at the bottom of said lipring and adapted to close it, said bells being provided with ports adapted to register with each other, a hollow sleeve for supporting one of the bells, a shaft passing through the sleeve for supporting the other bell,.a lever for reciprocating the sleeve, a gear mounted upon the'sleeve, a gear mounted upon the shaft, a

pinion meshing with said gears, a shaft uponv which said pinion is mounted, and means connected with said lever for oscillating said shaft.

14. A charging device, comprising a pair of bells having ports adapted to register with each other, a lever for reciprocating said bells, a pair of gears for rotating said bells, a rack connected with said lever, a pinion meshing with said rack and adapted to be oscillated thereby, a second pinion connected with said rst-mentioned pinion, and means for oscillating said pair of gears by the oscillation of said last-mentioned pinion.

.15. A charging device comprising a pair of bells having openings adapted to register with each other, a lever for reciprocating said bells, a shaft, connections from said lever to said shaft for oscillating the shaft, a pinion upon the shaft provided with teeth and having blank spaces between the teeth, a gear meshing with said pinion, and connections from said gear to said bells for oscillating them in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS FRANCIS WITHERBEE. JOHN GILMAN WITHERBEE. Witnesses:

WM. VIGGERS, E. L. CHATHAM. 

